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PE-bear vs readpe: catalog facts
PE-bearreadpe

Best for: Malware analysts taking a first look at Windows executables

Best for: Malware analysts and reverse engineers inspecting Windows executables

Free

Free and open source.

Free

Free and open source under GPL-2.0-or-later.

Windows, macOS, Linux Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line
  • Friendly GUI for inspecting PE structures
  • Built-in disassembly through Capstone
  • Runs on Windows, Linux and macOS
  • Analyzes Portable Executable binaries from the command line
  • Build instructions cover Linux, macOS, and Windows through Cygwin
  • Includes multiple utilities for PE file analysis
  • Limited to the PE format
  • Not a full decompiler or debugger
  • Windows builds require Cygwin
Downloadable app Downloadable app
Open source Open source
License not stated License: GPL-2.0-or-later
No account needed Not stated if an account is needed
Offline features available Not stated if it works offline

Sources for PE-bear

Catalog checked September 23, 2026

Sources for readpe

Catalog checked October 8, 2026

“Not stated” means we have not confirmed it. Features can vary by device and plan.